Established in 2010, the Ballard Bee Company began with four hives in owner Corky Luster's yard in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. But what started as a hobby soon grew into a full-fledged business and he now has a series of hives throughout the neighborhood. The result is raw, unfiltered honey that is local not just to a specific region but to a specific neighborhood.

Seattle limits the number of hives to four per home, so Luster came up with the idea to work with other homeowners to help support the local honey movement. Neighbors can either sponsor or lease hives and Ballard Bee Company does all of the servicing. The honey, bottled in fresh, eye-catching jars is then sold to local restaurants and small distributors in Washington and Oregon.

In addition to honey sales, Ballard Bee Company also offers consultation services for novice beekeepers as well as beekeeping supplies via its website. Just last week, the company was awarded the AMD VISIONary of the Year award, a $20,000 prize that will go to apiary expansion and a retail space where Luster can operate his business and sell beekeeping supplies.